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The Design and Testing of Fluidic Oscillators made in LTCC

Keywords: Fluidic Oscillators, Design Specifcations, Production of the device

The interest in using fluidic devices as replacements for electronic logic circuit devices has seen renewed interest as NASA looks for ways to operate in harsh interplanetary environments. The
size, multi-layer capabilities and ability to incorporate fluidic channels in a ceramic substrate
make Low Temperature Co-Fired Ceramics (LTCC) a viable platform for development of these
fluidic devices. Fluidic oscillators and fluidic diodes are being developed at BSU in LTCC.
Fluidic oscillators can be used for measuring flow rates, fluid viscosity as well as a replacement
for electronic oscillators. Fluidic diodes can be used as check-valves or as replacements for
electronic diodes. In this work, we will describe the development and testing of a fluidic
oscillator in LTCC.
To produce a fluidic oscillator the standard C-MEMS fabrication process is used. A CNC
milling machine was used to create the internal geometry. This allows the maximum flexibility
in channel geometry. The top layer of each device will be fabricated using a clear material
(lexan, sapphire or glass) to allow visual observation of the fluidic flows in each device.
Additional testing will be performed by measuring pressure at the inlet and both outlets. Several
different design geometries will be produced and observed to determine how performance varies
with geometry. Two options are considered in the moment. In this report, a variety of designs
will be presented and tested. Device performance will be determined by observing oscillation
speed, at equal input pressure.